Crispy roasted pork belly with sweet mustard seed glaze

Okay, we admit it. This recipe is a diet saboteur, so if you plan to indulge, buy the best meat from gourmet butcheries like Swiss Butchery; Kurobuta pork belly is best for roasting (with the skin intact). The heaviness of the pork is tempered by the piquancy of the mustard seed dressing.

Serves 4-6
Prep time 35 minutes
Cook time 3 hours

water mixture
2 litres water
¼ cup white vinegar

1-1.5kg fresh Kurobuta pork belly
¼ cup coarse or rock salt
¼ cup fine salt
2 tbsp fine sugar
¼ cup mei gui lu jiu (rose scented Chinese wine)
1 tbsp five-spice powder
2 tsp toasted coriander seeds (blended into fine powder)
2 tbsp English mustard powder
2 cloves garlic, smashed

garnish
150g rocket salad

mustard seed dressing
3 tbsp Pommery mustard
1 tsp fine sugar
pinch black peppercorns
6 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp honey

• Heat up a pot of water with vinegar to a boil. Dip the pork belly in the pot— doing so not only makes the meat firmer but removes the dirty bits. Set aside.
• Using a sharp fork, poke holes all over the pork belly skin
• Pat dry the pork belly. Rub the rest of the ingredients, except the water mixture and garnish, over the pork thoroughly.
• Place the pork belly on a metal rack over a tray—this is so the oil drippings will not dampen the pork crust. Make sure the pork skin is on top. Roast the pork belly in a preheated oven at 160°C for 30 minutes. Repeat the process 5-6 times. Total roasting time should be close to 2½ hours for 1kg of pork.
• Finally, roast the pork belly on the skin side for 20 minutes at 220°C or until the skin is crackly. Let it cool. Then chop the pork belly into thick slices.
• To make mustard seed dressing, combine all ingredients together. Set aside.
• Serve pork with mustard seed dressing and rocket salad.

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